Anyone know what are these brake flaps that the media keeps referring to?
I believe it's the media, not fully understanding how an aircraft works, translating what they are told into something they do understand.
ie: Company spokesperson says something along the lines of: 'The flaps were damaged ..... the flaps are used to slow the aircraft down for landing.' The Journo (thinking in terms of the car in which they drove to work) makes the connection: flaps are used to slow down, therefore flaps must be some sort of fancy brakes, thus 'Brake Flaps'.